Cleaning within a milking system

Abstract

Methods clean a gripping device ( 5 ) of a milking station ( 1 ) for milking animals. Methods include initiating ( 21 ) a gripper device cleaning procedure, moving ( 22 ) the gripper device ( 5 ) to a cleaning position, and carrying out ( 23 ) the gripper device cleaning procedure. Efficient and automatic cleaning of gripper devices is provided. Milking systems also include apparatuses for cleaning a gripper device.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for cleaning a teat cup gripper device of a milking station for milking animals, the milking station including a control unit, an automatic moving device, and a cleaning device, the method comprises:
 automatically detecting when a gripping surface of the gripper device is too soiled to grip a teat cup properly by 
 i) detecting, with a sensor, performance deterioration of the gripper device as indicated by a degree of soil on the gripping surface, wherein the performance deterioration detected by the sensor relates to the ability of the gripper device to hold a teat cup, and 
 ii) based on the detected degree of soil, forming a determination when the gripping surface of the gripper device is too soiled to function properly to grip the teat cup; and 
 automatically initiating, based on the detected performance deterioration, and the determination that the gripper device is too soiled to function properly to grip the teat cup, with the control unit, a gripper device cleaning procedure including, 
 moving, with the automatic moving device, the gripper device to a cleaning position, and 
 cleaning, with the cleaning device, the gripper device to remove dirt off the gripping surface of the gripper device; 
 transmitting, with the sensor, information of the detected performance deterioration of the gripper device; 
 receiving, with the control unit, the information; 
 processing, with the control unit, the information to determine if cleaning is necessary, the cleaning procedure being initiated based on the processing, 
 wherein the gripper device is an electromagnetic gripper device, 
 wherein the sensor is an inductive sensor in the electromagnetic gripper device, the inductive sensor sensing a magnetic field, an inductance, or a change of inductance caused by the gripper device surface being soiled, and 
 wherein the transmitted information from the sensor is at least one of magnetic field information, induced electric current information, and a change field or current information, said transmitted information used for forming the determination that the gripper device is too soiled to function properly to grip the teat cup. 
 
     
     
       2. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the detecting and initiating based thereon are performed upon completion of a milking occasion, or at regular intervals. 
     
     
       3. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 moving said gripper device to an idle position after the gripper device cleaning procedure. 
 
     
     
       4. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning includes at least one of rubbing said gripper device against a sponge and blowing air on a surface of the gripper device. 
     
     
       5. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning procedure further includes cleaning a detecting device of the milking station. 
     
     
       6. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the detecting, initiating, moving, and cleaning are performed without operator action. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning includes spraying cleaning agent on a surface of the gripper device. 
     
     
       8. A milking system comprising:
 a gripper device configured to grip teat cups; 
 a cleaning device configured to clean the gripper device; 
 an automatic moving device configured to automatically move the gripper device to the cleaning device; 
 a sensor configured to detect performance deterioration of the gripper device; and 
 a control unit configured to control the cleaning device and the automatic moving device and initiate a cleaning procedure with the cleaning device and the automatic moving device, the initiating based on the detected performance deterioration, 
 wherein the sensor and control unit are operatively connected to automatically detect when a gripping surface of the gripper device is too soiled to grip the teat cups properly by 
 i) the sensor determining performance deterioration of the gripper device as indicated by a degree of soil on the gripping surface, wherein the performance deterioration detected by the sensor relates to the ability of the gripper device to hold a teat cup, and 
 ii) based on the detected degree of soil, forming a determination when the gripping surface of the gripper device is too soiled to function properly to grip the teat cup, and 
 wherein, based on the detected performance deterioration and the determination that the gripper device is too soiled to function properly to grip the teat cup, to automatically initiate the gripper device cleaning procedure, 
 wherein the gripper device is an electromagnetic gripper device, and 
 wherein the sensor is an inductive sensor in the electromagnetic gripper device, the inductive sensor sensing a magnetic field, an inductance, or a change of inductance caused by the gripper device surface being soiled and providing an information thereof to the control unit for forming the determination that the gripper device is too soiled to function properly to grip the teat cup. 
 
     
     
       9. The milking system as claimed in  claim 8 ,
 wherein the automatic moving device includes a robot arm, 
 wherein the gripper device is part of the robot arm, 
 wherein the control unit is a part of the automatic moving device, and 
 wherein the control unit is configured to control movements of the robot arm. 
 
     
     
       10. The milking system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the cleaning device includes at least one of a cleaning member in the form of a sponge, and a cleaning member configured to blow air onto the gripper device. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the cleaning device includes at least one of a cleaning member configured to spray cleaning agent on a surface of the gripper device.